وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۖ بَل لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُۥ قَـٰنِتُونَ 116
Translations
They say, "Allāh has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him,
Transliteration
Wa qalū ittakhadha Allāhu waladan subḥānahu bal lahu mā fī as-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi kullun lahu qānitūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the false claims of those who attributed children to Allah, a blasphemy common among pre-Islamic Arabs and certain People of the Book. The verse emphasizes Allah's absolute transcendence (tanzīh) through the word 'Subḥānahu' (Glory be to Him), declaring that everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him alone, and all creation stands in obedience to Him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurṭubī note this directly addresses Quraish claims that angels were Allah's daughters, and Christian claims about Jesus being the Son of God, establishing that Allah is beyond partnership and procreation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the early Medinan portion of Surah Al-Baqarah, revealed in response to the theological misconceptions of the Quraysh and People of the Book (Jews and Christians) living in Medina. The broader context addresses fundamental Islamic beliefs about the oneness of Allah (Tawḥīd) and refutes polytheistic and anthropomorphic concepts of the Divine.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records a hadith where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most grievous sin is to associate partners with Allah, for Allah has created me and created you, but I have not created anyone, and you have not created anyone.' Additionally, Sunan An-Nasai contains hadith emphasizing that speaking against Allah's oneness is among the greatest sins.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to guard our beliefs against false theological concepts and to understand that Allah alone deserves worship and obedience—not creation itself, which exists in complete subjugation to His will. For believers today, it reinforces that true faith requires rejecting any notion that diminishes Allah's absolute uniqueness and perfection.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقًا ۙ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَأُتُوا۟ بِهِۦ مُتَشَـٰبِهًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally.
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّى فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds [i.e., peoples].
ٱلشَّهْرُ ٱلْحَرَامُ بِٱلشَّهْرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَٱلْحُرُمَـٰتُ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَنِ ٱعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَٱعْتَدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا ٱعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
[Battle in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month, and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is with those who fear Him.